LargeSlowTarget
Posts: 2536
Joined: 9/23/2000
From: The deepest, darkest pit of hell
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I was thinking GC only, but of course sharing ideas for modding limited scenarios would be nice, too.
Ok, since I started this, I will post the changes I have made in my mod. Nothing great and probably quite useless, but just maybe someone wants to pick a thing or two.
I would be happy if others join in sharing their modding ideas so everyone can copy elements they like.
“Changelog” for LST Variant of DaBigBabes
Remarks:
• “Historic” mod based on DBB Scen 29C Extended map
• Stock scenarios and to a lesser extend DBB-A/B allow rather fast-paced operations and “impossible” strategies like Japan invading India, Australia or Hawaii or early Allied counter-offensives. I attempt to create a more historic gameplay by slowing down the ops tempo. This is done on the one hand by limiting production and transportation (hence based on DBB-C), on the other hand by adding more units that need to be transported and supplied.
• I have made some corrections and changes to the OOB for more historical accuracy, e.g. starting locations of certain units, names or designation, added a number of missing ships, units, leaders etc.
• I have also added some units and features which you may find ‘esoteric’ but for which I have a soft spot and felt they deserve a kind of “virtual memorial” by being included in my mod (e.g. Joseph Rochefort and Codebreaking units, Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels, Death Railway and POW Labor units, “Chick” Parson and PI guerillas etc.).
• Some experimental features are following a seat-of-the-pants approach > I may have gotten things horribly wrong
• I did not aim for 100% accuracy in everything. For example, certain ship class characteristics are rather approximate and generic (e.g. small ship classes, blockade runners). Reason: Hard data is difficult to find and I did not want / could not spend too much time & money into research. But if anyone has better data, I would be pleased if you share it.
• Some ideas have been inspired by or “stolen” from forum posts or other mods (like good old CHS), in some cases I thought I have had a new idea and then it turned out that other forumites have had more or less similar ideas (great minds… ;-) , and a few things may be my own “brain-farts”.
Ok, enough of the preliminaries, here are the changes:
Bases/Map:
• Downsizing of base sizes and potential bases sizes of many stock/DBB bases, esp. in PNG/Solomons and Aleutians > slows loading/unloading, requires more time-consuming construction efforts, prevents monster bases in hostile terrain/climate
• Added numerous bases and dots in CBI theater, PI, Solomons / PNG, Australia and even Japan (no base slots left - could use more...)
o Mostly bases of secondary importance, minor battle sites, logistical bases (for supply caps), “emergency landing grounds”, guerilla bases etc.
o Dot bases in China have a low garrison requirement for Japanese side and low supply production for Chinese side (to support Guerillas etc.) > see “Ground” section) [need to apply to PI as well - in next mod version]
o some unimportant bases in the deep South Pacific (French Polynesia) and Russia have been converted to more useful bases in China and elsewhere
• Note: I did not include the “Shortlands / Buin base split” of the latest DBB map revision – lack of base slots in my mod (all are being used) plus I already have added the Treasury Islands in this area
• Added supply caps for many SRA bases and dots to represent poor transport infrastructure > bad or lack of roads, low capacity railways (compared to CONUS)
o Railway lines have highest supply cap (major RR = 1000 per base size), roadless jungle-covered mountains the lowest (10)
o Supply caps also for Australia due to chaotic state of Aussie railway system with at least 3 different gauges with break-of-gauge between states (simulated as stretches of minor RR at break-of-gauge bases) > slows flow of supplies and may entice use of coastal shipping
o supply caps can be raised through construction work on base levels, this simulates potential upgrades of transport infrastructure
o I have added potential port sizes for inland hexes to simulate road/railroad construction > ports will be useless in inland hexes for anything but raising supply cap and this helps to avoid strings of monster airbases and/or high fort levels
o House Rules: 1. Expand ports (not air bases or forts) when aim is purely logistics, 2. no strategic movements of ground and air units unless uninterrupted string of port 1-bases along the intended route
• Added “Burma-Thailand Death Railway” using the port / supply cap approach (pwhexdat & map art change)
• Added Ledo Road using the port / supply cap approach (pwhexdat & map art change)
• Added railroads in China which had been destroyed prior to 1941 (but could have been rebuilt) using the port / supply cap approach (whexdat & map art change)
• Changes to Pwhexe.dat file to extend navigable rivers in China and Burma for small craft > small craft were able to reach Ichang, Chungking and the Burma oil fields and beyond.
• Added “Occupied Europe” base in the South-Eastern corner. Intended for German blockade runners and transport submarines between Japan and Germany (see “Ships” section). Has small LI to slowly convert resources shipped to “Europe” into supplies (=war materials provided by Germany) -slow to lengthen turnaround time. No Allied ships allowed within 4 hexes of base (tentative value subject to testing), but outside this radius anti-blockade runner patrols are allowed. Provided additional Omaha class CLs at Falklands (renamed “South Atlantic Station”) for “South Atlantic patrol” against blockade runners (Omaha and sisters captured many blockade runners in the South Atlantic in WWII). Allied LCU spawns at base in May 1945 in order to “liberate” it.
• Changes to river crossings in China and Gulf of Martaban (north of Moulmein) since permanent bridges did not exist until after the war > crossing sites use “railway trail” movement rates >> interrupts strategic movement!
• Added North Borneo railway with small supply / resource production at new base
• South Sumatra Railway: base Lahat replaced by railway terminus Lubuk Linggau, at 46,91 - location of rubber plantations and thus has small resource production
• Port Swettenham RR branch line added
• [Project] Sumatra Death Railway Sawahloento-Pakanbaroe to be added as “constructible” RR line
• Added indicators behind names of Japanese main bases with large pre-war installations (i.e. base forces with large numbers of naval / air support) for better identification in transfer/destination menus:
= IJAAF Base (e.g. Akita=)
# IJNAF Base (e.g. Oita#)
+ Naval Base (e.g. Ominato+)
Industry:
• Experimental changes:
o Refineries no longer produce supplies
o HI no longer produces supplies
o To compensate, I have doubled the supply output of LI
• Slightly increased resource point output of resource centers (out 20>25) but also increased resource point requirements for industries (in 20>25) so more resources needed for same output >> increases shipping requirements
• Reduced number of resource centers in Japanese Home Islands, added corresponding number of resource centers to various bases in Korea, China and SRA (to further increase shipping requirements for Japan)
• To model Allied shoe-string conditions at the beginning of the war and rising production over time, many light industries and resource centers start 33% - 50% damaged + added a number of new 100% damaged factories and resources in CONUS for more late-war supply production (added daily supplies to pay for the repairs - do not forget to use the “supplies required” function to keep bases with damaged factories at more than 10.000 supplies per turn – otherwise the factories will not repair thus supply production may suffer in the long run!)
Devices:
• Changed build rate of aviation support (device 254) from 600 to 200:
o Build rate is the same for Allies and Japan, put Japan lacked skilled aircraft mechanics throughout the war, so equal build rate is unhistorical
o Made up Allied deficit by creating convoys which will dump up to 1200 aviation support squads into the Allied pool every three months (like the British Capetown convoys).
Air:
• Increased aircraft service ratings across the board: 5 for 4E, 4 for 2E, 3 for single engine planes > slows down air ops, IRL it was rare that an air unit had all or almost all planes serviceable
• Added Arado 196 float plane for German Navy (aboard AMCs) plus engine and armament devices
• Added airgroups for Shinano CV conversion option > one small fighter unit for self-defense and three replenishment units for F, DB and TB types (groups start land-based in case player elects to build her as BB)
• Doolittle Raiders: added one airgroup of 16 carrier-capable B-25 “Special” available in April 1942 > House Rule: only one attack allowed, must be disbanded after use
• Experimenting with new aircraft weapons filters > PBY has different bomb loads depending on mission [this is a huge new modding potential – will leave it to more knowledgeable persons to provide new aircraft loadouts]
• Added “(T)” to names for easier identification of IJNAF training group > e.g. “Fukuyama Ku K-1 (T)”
• Naval District air groups (assigned to guard Sasebo, Kure etc.) are subordinate to corresponding Naval Base Force but can be switched to other HQs for full PPs
• 2nd Air Div now permanent restricted to avoid exploit of buying out Kwantung ground units on the cheap
Ships:
• “Quickstart Convoys” > created “QS” convoys to auto-collect the merchant ships scattered around the map (got tired of the hundreds of clicks on turn 1 at each restart…). TFs are already filled with ships and destination is set to certain collecting points (e.g. Yokohama, Sydney, Manila, Colombo, San Francisco) for sorting out (I tend to create convoys with ships of same class or at least same speed) resp. conversion. Ships are in convoys at historic start locations, so if you have other ideas for them, you can pull the ships out. Some merchant ships left out because intended for conversion at start base, also most warships left out as usage will vary.
• Odd DBB-C cargo capacity values rounded to full hundreds for easier ‘port / convoy size’ calculations (e.g. 1197 > 1200)
• Unarmed US merchant ships: new ship classes without weapons since arming of US ships was authorized only three weeks before Pearl Harbor > upgrade period decreases shipping availability >> Note: I did not conduct research into the state of armament for each individual ship at the start of the war, so changes are across-the-board by class
• SC and esp. SG radar upgrades pushed back a bit since availability in stock / DBB just “feels” too early > widespread use of SG in started in late 42, not in April 42 (in the November battles at Guadalcanal only 40-50% of ships present already had SG).
• Corrected starting location and armament of PY-10 Isabel > returning from “Defensive Information Patrol” and depth charge upgrade on 12/41 available
• added upgrades for Asheville class > crew added “homemade” DC rack, later got Y-gun and 20mm AA
• Allied Fast Transport: added small cargo/troop capacities for Allied DD types, gunboats, mine craft etc. > could and were used as fast transports when circumstances required
• Allied submarines likewise have small cargo/troop capacities for evacuation and special missions (see “Ground” section)
• Added coastal craft like trawlers and small sailing ships since local transport played an important role (e.g “US Army Small Ships section” in PNG) > rumor has it that Don and Buck have more data on these babies
• Added USN, RN, IJN and Chinese river gunboats (crude art files available)
• Added German and Italian ships (most art files courtesy of Kirk23): AMC Thor and Michel, a dozen blockade runners, AP Comte Verde (of CHS fame) as well as “Monsoon” submarines and “Mercator” transport submarines (also see “Bases” section about “Occupied Europe” base)
• Added sailing ship “Pamir”, a NZ war prize (crude art file available)
• Added PG Averoff (of CHS fame – but need better art file!)
• Corrected starting locations of various ships and reinforcements (e.g. Warspite & Colorado at Bremerton shipyard, Mutsu at Kure, Asiatic Fleet submarines)
• USN submarines on map have low sys and engine damage to reflect poor material conditions of submarine force at start of war
• Yamato “Local Yokel variant” with “bugged” main armament (accuracy halved) requiring upgrade period before being fully operational
• Shinano Option:
o arrives as BB hull without armament with conversion options for BB or CV
o arrival date tentatively set to April 43 > should be accelerated for late-42 arrival date of the hull in order to burn more construction points (in order to compensate a bit for the fact that conversions do not use construction points)
• Minor corrections e.g. of radar device facings or bind class errors (as pointed out in the forum)
• Leader change for USS Houston > historic CO Capt. A.H. Rooks added to leader database
• Added damage and changed repair status of certain ships at Manila which IRL were docked for repairs at Cavite at the start of the war
• Corrected skippers of Sailfish and Sealion > Mumma and Voge
• US submarines equipped with the infamous und unreliable H.O.R. engines split into separate classes with penalties on speed and endurance > upgrade paths including a long refit (for new engines, requiring a West Coast shipyard), then merge with the normal upgrade path
• Most upgrades (anything not limited to adding light AA) now have minimum shipyard requirements since bigger weaponry and electronics required a minimum of specialized equipment and trained workforce
• Set withdrawal dates for US APs Republic, Chaumont, St.Mihiel, President Fillmore, President Buchanan, President Tyler and Henderson as well as xAKs Lewis Luckenbach and Dorothy Luckenbach > all converted to hospital ships and thus no longer available for regular transport duty
• Reduced fuel for some IJN submarines on station for consistency (some already had less than 100%, others still had 100%)
• Added a number of barges, sampans and junks to the Japanese OOB – they operated many hundreds of them
• Added missing float planes for a number of IJN and USN cruisers
• Added several dozen leaders for Chinese Navy and IJN with Ensign and LT ranks for the additional river gunboats, sampans, junks and as replacements for the civilian skippers of AKL > PB conversions
• [Project] to add Thai and Manschukuo Navies > someone has done this already and wants to share the data?
Ground:
• In DBB-C (reduced capacity), in the pre-loaded “Pattani 2nd wave” TF (TF 123) a sub-unit of the 56th Eng Rgt is left behind at Hiroshima due to lack of transport capacity > have added one xAK to 56th Div TF 8123 – maybe unhistoric but more convenient
• Changed PI landings setup:
o only Appari, Vigan and Batan Is. Invasion forces are present on day 1 as task forces and without first-turn movement bonus for historic landing dates around Dec. 10th
o historically, the convoys of the PI main landings at Lingayen and Lamon Bay did sail only on Dec. 17th due to delays in loading > in my mod, those convoys have been disbanded and ships and ground units are at historic starting locations >> need to create and load convoys and lack of first-turn movement bonus hopefully will lead to more historic landing dates in the PI
o 9th Inf Rgt of 16th Div was part of Lingayen Invasion, not of Legaspi Invasion TF as in stock/DBB game > moved to Pescadores
• Added Naval HQs to represent German Naval Command structure in Japan and Asia (for Kriegsmarine warships and blockade runners – see ships section)
• Changes to Aussie OOB:
o Added 8th Military District HQ at PM (7th MD at Darwin is already in DBB)
o Added Milne Force HQ which becomes 11th Division later
o 30th Bde split in component Bns and historic start locations (1 Bn at PM, 2 in Australia)
o Minor HQ changes e.g. for units in 7th and 8th Military Districts
o Changed basic structure of CMF units from divisions to brigades (Div HQ + 3 Bde) i.e. cannot combine to full Divs > limits offensive value of theses Militia forces
o applied restrictions and withdrawal dates to brigades which never saw service outside Australia and/or which were disbanded
o Added a few Garrison Bns I have found in some Aussie OOB on the Net
o Added “Emergency Landing Field” ELG Base Forces with minimum TO&E (“four men and a jeep” - Bergerud) for new bases like “Hood Point Emergency landing field” > more “eaters” to ship around and occupy the coastal shipping
o Added 1st and 2nd New Guinea Inf Bns which combine with Papuan Bn to form the Pacific Islands Rgt
o Added “Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels” ENG unit > support services as the PNG Natives did in WWII
o Start location changed according to info provided by JeffK on land issues forum thread
• All NZ units restricted except 3rd Div + subunits and certain base forces
• Malaya Army restricted > defense of Singapore historically mandatory for political reasons >>”Sir Robin” evacuation of Malaya will cost many PPs
• HQ changes for units in Alaska from West Coast to Alaska Command
• Added experimental Philippines Guerilla units (fighting troops) and “Agents” (radar device with long range and low accuracy – might not work as intended and should probably be changed to squad device) plus HQ unit under “Chick” Parson in Australia > intended for submarine special missions and Intel gathering
• Removed “teleported” units (e.g. Bora-Bora garrison, Americal Div etc.) > now arrive at CONUS and have to be shipped out
• Added a number of small Japanese “Kempeitai” units for a bit more flexible covering of garrison requirements (new device “security squad”) > also more mouths to feed and stuff to move
• Added a number of ENG units for the RR construction projects > IJA Railroad Regiments, POW and Romusha Forced Labor units (actually in game terms squad devices, so unlike history do not building anything – to avoid overboosting Japan ENG capacities)
• Split and spread certain Japanese units in China to garrison RR and roads since all China dots have garrison requirements added
• Created small Chinese “Administration” units to prevent auto-change of ownership of dot bases
• Historic OOB changes to 6th Marine Div > 1st-4th Raider Bns combine to form 1st Marine Raider Rgt > renamed 4th Marines > 4th and 22nd Marines form 1st Provisional Marine Bde > with 29th Marines form 6th Marine Div
• Historic OOB changes to 1st Def Bn and detachments > Palmyra Det = parent unit for reconstituted 1st Def Bn, Johnson Det. = parent unit for 16th Def Bn
• 2nd Yokosuka Bn was trained as para units, but not used as such. Since it had the ability, it is a para unit in my mod
• Added experimental “Civilians” units to many Allied bases (representing ‘white oppressors’, not indigenous population)
o Main purpose: to prevent “Sir Robin Defense” retreat of Allied forces and shipping
o Units are composed of a number of “non-combat personnel” devices and corresponding number of support squads plus a high number of “victory points” devices
o device “victory points” has load cost = 0 > need no support squads
o resulting units have low load costs, low support requirements, but many devices = many victory points
o you should evacuate the Civilians instead of losing them in order to save the VPs
o Downside: high number of devices in Civilian units will consume a lot of supplies, so they act as “supply sinks”. You should put the Civilians on ships and get them out of the theater or you may run out of supplies for military use in the SRA. I have given Civilian units lots of “internal” supplies and upped base supplies to retard the effect, but keep your shipping occupied by removing the Civilians to safety
o Civilian units can be disbanded at main bases (Sydney, Dehli etc.) to end the supply drain, also drop surviving squads into pools so small gain of support squads representing Civilians entering the Military after evacuation
[Edit for spelling mistakes]
< Message edited by LargeSlowTarget -- 12/16/2012 1:18:06 AM >
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